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AJM agrees with OSCE about the media laws

Submitted by Administrator on Monday, 5. August 2013 - 13:18

The Association of Journalists of Macedonia shares the concerns of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Mrs. Dunja Mijatovic that the new legislation passed by the government can be used to silence the critical views in the media and to restrict the freedom of speech. AJM welcomes Mijatovic position that certain parts of the law, although may be acceptable, in the context of the current situation on the freedom of the media, can lead to various abuses.
We agree that the reference to national security and fostering intolerance and hate speech in the law are very vague and could be abused. Also, contentious are the solutions about the Agency for the media, the definition - reporter and the penalty provisions, which creates a space for the regulator to interfere in the content of the printed and the online media and to encourage the self-censorship in the media.
It is important that Mrs. Mijatovic suggest to the government to stop interfering in the organization of the journalists in order to cause tension between the journalistic associations.
This position of the Representative of OSCE once again confirms that our views on the latest legislation on media are valid and the impressions of authority for the views of the OSCE are very optimistic.
It is clear that the negative impression in the world for freedom of expression in Macedonia will not change by changing the laws, but a change of government policy towards the work of the media. If the government wants to strengthen the media freedom then it should stop interfering in their work and to terminate the corruption link between the politics and the media. This will only be achieved if the government proposed the legislation that will provide greater transparency in the spending of the public money for government campaigns and to establish criteria on how to distribute the campaign in the media. Also, it is important to be sanctioned by law opportunity the media to finance election campaigns with political advertising.
to be sanctioned by the Selmani Naser, president of AJM
07.23.2013, Skopje